Applications for final year STEMM PhD students to self-nominate for the 2026 Schmidt Science Fellowship are now closed.
This self-nomination is the first phase of the application process. Cambridge applications will be submitted to a senior academic panel coordinated by the Postdoc Academy. Up to eight applications will be shortlisted. Shortlisted applicants only will be able to apply directly to Schmidt during the second phase.
Applications for the self-nomination phase close at 23:59 on 2 April 2025. All the required documentation must be received before this date to be considered by the panel.
About the Fellowship
The Schmidt Fellowship is open to ambitious STEMM PhD students. You should show a genuine interest in interdisciplinary research and in achieving this through a clear and well-explained switch or pivot in research discipline from your PhD to your postdoc. Applications for linear or incremental extensions of PhD studies are unlikely to be successful.
The Fellowship offers:
- $110,000 per year for up to two years of postdoctoral research
- tailored science leadership training and development
- lifelong access to a stimulating, caring and collaborative community.
Before you apply
Please download the Call for Self-Nominations document below and read the requirements and eligibility criteria carefully. In summary, applicants must be:
- registered for a PhD at the University of Cambridge
- studying for a PhD in natural sciences (Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Earth Sciences and Physics), Engineering, Mathematics, Computing – or any of the sub-disciplines, at one of the Schmidt nominating partner institutions
- expected to complete all requirements for the conferral of their PhD i.e. the unconditional approval of their thesis, between 15 May 2025 and 30 June 2026
- able to start their Fellowship in July 2026 or October 2026
- able to show a clear pivot in their research i.e. a switch to research in an alternative discipline, to achieve a scientific goal not possible while following their current course.
Please note that students on clinical track MD-PhD or Veterinary-PhD programs are not eligible.
How to self-nominate
Details of how to self-nominate are found in the Call for Self-nominations document.
Contacts
- If you have any questions, please first read the call document and our FAQs.
- If you cannot find the answer to your query, please contact fellowships.pda@admin.cam.ac.uk.
- Please note that we can only answer questions relating to the self-nomination phase of the application process. For more information about the second phase, please see the Schmidt website.
Downloads
Call for Self-nominations document
Statement of Good Standing template
Schmidt Fellowship 2026 Frequently Asked Questions
I am a final year PhD student who will submit in 2025, and I am not sure whether my submission date makes me eligible to apply for the Schmidt Fellowship?
To be eligible, you must complete all requirements for the conferral of your PhD between 15 May 2025 and 30 June 2026. This could include:
- All steps from submission to approval between 15 May 2025 and 30 June 2026 OR
- Submission before 15 May 2025, with defence and approval taking place between May 2025 and 30 June 2026.
Note that candidates whose thesis has been unconditionally approved before 15 May 2025 and who only have the hardbound copy to submit after 15 May are not eligible. The cut-off step is the written confirmation that the thesis has been unconditionally approved.
I have already completed my PhD – can I apply?
If your thesis was unconditionally approved or awarded before 15 May 2025, you are not eligible to apply.
I am not expecting to complete my PhD before June 2026, but I want to apply. What should I do?
If you are not expecting to complete their PhD before 30 June 2026 you are not eligible. In this case, you should consider whether you will complete your PhD within the eligibility period of the next Fellowship round (May 2026 – June 2027) if Cambridge is invited to nominate again. Note that there is no guarantee that Cambridge will be invited to nominate Schmidt Fellows in future rounds.
I am a PhD student at a partner institute e.g. the Sanger Institute. Am I eligible?
As long as your PhD will be conferred by the University of Cambridge, you are eligible to apply.
I am a visiting PhD from another University, based in Cambridge. Am I eligible?
As a visiting scholar, your PhD will be awarded by your “home” university, not the University of Cambridge, so unfortunately you are not eligible.
I am a medical / veterinary student who is conducting research. Am I eligible?
If you are on the clinical track, i.e. if you will qualify as a medical doctor / veterinarian, you are not eligible to apply, even if you are conducting research alongside this.
If you are working on a purely research PhD, you may be eligible to apply, depending on your research area.
I am conducting medical research in an interdisciplinary area, which includes the categories eligible for Schmidt. Am I eligible?
You will need to show that your work is truly interdisciplinary and includes categories covered by Schmidt, but if this is the case, you are welcome to self-nominate.
I have already secured a postdoc. Can I still self-nominate, and will I be able to pursue the postdoc I had planned?
Yes, you are still eligible to apply for the Schmidt Fellowship. Schmidt, however, advises that candidates should be aware that:
- Your submission should meet all the requirements of the Fellowship, including the research pivot. Please see the Call for Submissions if you are not sure whether your intended postdoc meets this requirement.
- If you are successful, you may be able to take up your planned postdoctoral position as part of the Fellowship, but there is no guarantee of this. The placement process is focused on ensuring that Fellows take up positions where they are best placed to achieve the Fellowship goals. Placements are developed and agreed after the selection process is complete.
Is my proposed pivot ambitious enough?
We cannot comment on the content of self-nominations, but please note that Schmidt expects a bold and ambitious change of direction from your PhD research. Linear or incremental developments to your research are unlikely to be successful. You will be expected to demonstrate the rationale for this change of direction as well as the desire to learn new skills and build new networks.
There is a video illustrating the requirements for the pivot and how best to achieve it here. You can also see examples of successful research pivots in the Directory of Fellows.
Can you tell me how many self-nominations you’ve received in the past and what the success rate is?
There is no cap on the number of internal self-nominations; we usually receive around 30 applications per year, though we have received around double this number on occasion. The Cambridge selection panel can shortlist a maximum of eight applicants to continue to the Schmidt application process. There is no guarantee that any of these applicants will be successful in the final selection. Schmidt gives their final success rate as 10% of those nominated by institutions.
Are you able to give advice about the suitability of a proposed project?
We cannot comment on the content of individual proposals. Please see the Call for Proposals and the Schmidt website for details of what Schmidt are looking for. Do pay particular attention to the requirement to pivot your research.
Does my application to you need to include a detailed description of my proposed postdoc project? Do I need to have an institution and PI lined up for my postdoc?
At this stage, you need to submit a letter of interest that outlines your suitability for the Schmidt Fellowship rather than a detailed project proposal project and plans. The panel will be interested to hear about your experiences, ambitions, and goals as they relate to the aims of the programme. How you wish to pivot is of particular importance.
If you are shortlisted by the Cambridge panel, you will be invited to apply directly to Schmidt. At that point, you will be asked for a research proposal outlining your future plans, as part of a detailed application. There is more information on the Schmidt website.
You do not need to specify an institution or PI. Placements are developed and agreed after the full Schmidt selection process is complete.
Can you provide anonymised examples of previous successful expressions of interest?
In line with the policy of the Schmidt Foundation not to provide examples of past applications, we do not provide examples of previous successful expressions of interest. Your application should be personal to you and your scientific objectives, expressing your own experiences, ambitions and goals. One of the characteristics of a successful Schmidt expression of interest is that it is unique to the person applying.
Should the reference be from the current supervisor or the person I would like to oversee my proposed postdoc project?
The reference letter should be from your current (i.e. PhD) supervisor or PI recommending you for the Fellowship and detailing your suitability, including your research pivot, its rationale and potential impact.
Please do stress to your supervisor the importance of meeting the deadline for applications. We cannot consider applications where any part is submitted after the deadline.
I have a main and secondary supervisor. Does it matter which one writes my reference?
The reference should be from your main supervisor or PI. Please do stress to your supervisor the importance of meeting the deadline for applications. We cannot consider applications where any part is submitted after the deadline.
What should the reference include? Do you have a template?
We do not provide a template reference: each reference should be unique to the person self-nominating and should include information about your skills, ability, experience, and, particularly, your suitability for the Fellowship and the pivot. Please share the Call for Self-Nominations with your referee and point them at the Schmidt website, to ensure that they understand the Schmidt requirements and can tailor your reference accordingly. It is important that their reference speak to the research pivot you propose to make, e.g. the extent to which you are moving away from your PhD research in an ambitious new direction and the new skills you will gain by doing so. Please do stress to your supervisor the importance of meeting the deadline for applications. We cannot consider applications where any part is submitted after the deadline.
Do you have a template for the Statement of Good Standing?
The template for the Statement of Good Standing can be downloaded here.
Can my Statement of Good Standing come from my College. I have asked my Department but they say my College is better placed for this.
Your Statement of Good Standing must come from a senior administrator or academic within the candidate’s department who has access to HR records. We cannot accept Statements of Good Standing from Colleges.
I am doing my PhD through a partner institute. Who needs to provide my Statement of Good Standing?
Please approach a senior administrative member of staff or your manager. The Statement needs to come from someone with access to your HR Records.
Who should write my Statement of Good Standing?
The Statement of Good Standing should come from a senior member of your department who has access to student/HR records and can check whether there are sanctions or disciplinary procedures on your record. Most Statements of Good Standing come from Heads of Department, Departmental Administrators, or their equivalents in partner institutes. Please do stress to the person writing your Statement the importance of meeting the deadline for applications. We cannot consider applications where any part is submitted after the deadline.
How will I know when you have received my reference and Statement of Good Standing?
Once we have received your letter of interest and CV, we will inform you when we receive your reference and Statement of Good Standing. If we have not received these the week before applications close, we will get in touch to let you know, so that you have time to follow up before the deadline.
What happens if my reference and / or Statement of Good Standing are received after the deadline?
All documentation must be received by the deadline. We cannot extend the deadline or consider late applications under any circumstances.
There seem to be lots of different deadlines between the Call for Self-Nomination and the Schmidt website. Which of these applies to me?
The Schmidt Fellowship application process comprises two steps:
Step 1: Self-nomination to the Fellowships Team at the Postdoc Academy: these applications go to an internal panel at the University of Cambridge, who create a shortlist of up to eight candidates who go onto the second phase. The deadline for this phase is 2 April 2025.
We will inform applicants of the outcome of this internal selection process in early May.
Step 2: Only the shortlisted applicants are able to proceed to direct application to the Schmidt Foundation. Applications for the second step open on 9 May 2025 and close on 14 July. Details are available on the Schmidt website.